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[House Document 109-86]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                     

109th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 109-86
 
    REQUEST FOR EMERGENCY DESIGNATION FOR FY 2006 BUDGET AMENDMENTS

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

REQUEST FOR AN EMERGENCY DESIGNATION FOR FY 2006 BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR 
                   THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

  January 31, 2006.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and 
                         ordered to be printed
                                           The White House,
                                      Washington, January 28, 2006.
Hon. J. Dennis Hastert,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Speaker: My Administration is committed to 
ensuring that our Nation's veterans continue to receive timely 
and high-quality health care.
    On July 14, 2005, I submitted an FY 2006 budget amendment 
to the Congress of $1.977 billion to cover increased costs in 
the Department of Veterans Affairs medical care system. I did 
not designate the funds as an emergency requirement when I 
submitted the FY 2006 budget amendment. While I believe this 
funding should be categorized as part of the VA's base budget, 
it is critical that this funding be made available to meet 
veterans' needs. As a result, to provide the needed funds to 
veterans in a timely manner and consistent with the 2006 
Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations 
Act, Public Law 109-114, I hereby revise that request to 
designate $1.225 billion of the amount proposed in that 
amendment as an emergency requirement. I appreciate your 
cooperation in working with me to ensure the highest quality of 
care for our veterans.
    Additional information on this action is set forth in the 
enclosed letter from the Director of the Office of Management 
and Budget. The details of the FY 2006 amendment were included 
in the previous transmittal.
            Sincerely,
                                                    George W. Bush.
                [Estimate No. 1, 109th Cong., 2d Sess.]

                 Executive Office of the President,
                           Office of Management and Budget,
                                  Washington, DC, January 24, 2006.
The President,
The White House.
    You originally requested an FY 2006 budget amendment of 
$1.977 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on 
July 14, 2005. Submitted for your consideration is a letter to 
the Congress that designates $1.225 billion of this amount as 
an emergency requirement for VA's medical care budget.
    Last summer, VA determined that due to unanticipated growth 
in the number of patients using the VA health care system and 
the increased cost per patient of providing this care, the FY 
2005 enacted budget and FY 2006 request included insufficient 
funding. On June 30, 2005, and July 14, 2005, respectively, you 
submitted to the Congress a supplemental request to address FY 
2005 needs and a budget amendment for FY 2006 totaling $2.952 
billion. Congress provided the entire amount over the two year 
period, but shifted $525 million of the amended FY 2006 request 
into FY 2005 supplemental funding.
    You did not initially request that the funds be designated 
as an emergency requirement, because they will finance the base 
operations of the Department. However, when Congress passed the 
2006 Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs 
Appropriations Act, Public Law 109-114, it included the funds 
requested, but designated $1.225 billion as an emergency 
requirement ``available only if an official budget request is 
transmitted by the President to the Congress that revises the 
President's budget amendment of July 14, 2005, to designate the 
entire $1,225,000,000 as an emergency requirement.'' With this 
requirement in law, the funds will not be available--and 
veterans medical care would have to be curtailed--unless you 
transmit this request to the Congress. To avoid a disruption in 
VA's provision of care to veterans, we recommend you designate 
this funding as an emergency requirement.
    Your 2007 Budget will not treat these funds as if they 
carried the emergency designation, because it is more accurate 
to classify this funding as part of the VA base budget. This 
category change will not affect the availability of these 
funds.
    I have carefully reviewed this proposal and am satisfied 
that it is necessary at this time. Therefore, I join the 
Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs in recommending 
that you transmit this request, which revises your July 14, 
2005, budget amendment to designate $1.225 billion of the 
amount as an emergency requirement. No further congressional 
action is required.
            Sincerely,
                                        Joshua B. Bolten, Director.

                                  
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